Here are the most exciting PlayStation 4 games coming out over the next 18 months, from AAA blockbusters to the new VR titles, listed in order of release

Aloy, Nathan Drake, and Ellie are all pedigree PlayStation mascots. Seeing them dramatically posed on various boxes in the next year is almost a certainty, yet judging by 2018’s lineup, there’s room for more. Kratos is making a comeback as a grizzled veteran of deity warfare in God of War, Boomer from Far Cry 5 is almost definitely going to appear somewhere (he is a good boy, after all), and perhaps Red Dead Redemption 2’s Arthur Morgan will manage to live up to John Marston’s level of fame. Anyone who owns a PS4 is going to be feeling pretty smug in about 2 seconds, because the sheer amount of top-notch upcoming PS4 games (or so we hope) coming to the console is enough to bring an oily tear to a Thunderjaw’s eye.

Moss

Release date: February 27, 2018 Genre: VR Action Adventure

What is it? An adventure with a mouse. We're sure there's a twist in the tail.

Why it's so interesting: Kicking off Sony's VR offerings for 2018, Moss looks like a beautiful reason to blow the dust off your glowy headset. Both you and Quill - yes, that's the mouse - need to work together to traverse a quest across a storybook world of magic. You'll become intrinsically linked to Quill, meaning that you won't just be telling her where to jump but interacting with the world around her too. It looks like a gorgeous VR adventure and given there's even a bit where she clambers onto your hand and you feel her heartbeat through your controller means there's a serious charm offensive here too. How can you resist a mouse?

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Release date: March 23, 2018 Genre: JRPG

What is it? The follow up to the beautiful Ghibli-style RPG from Level-5, complete with new slicker combat system.

Why it's so interesting: Level-5's original beautiful RPG was ultra easy on the eyes but not so much on the thumbs as it required a serious amount of grinding through its turn based combat encounters. Switching things out for a much faster skirmish system, Ni no Kuni 2 makes it a little easier to enjoy the sweeping story, huge open world, and adorable creature creations. Of course the critters you use during battle are called 'Higgledies.' D'awwwwww.

A Way Out

Release date: March 23, 2018 Genre: Co-op adventure

What is it? A co-op prison escape from the developers of the brilliant Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

Why it's so interesting: We're very selfish with our screens in 2018. Want to play with a friend? They can find their own 55" 4K OLED panel, thank you very much. Think back to days that weren't all about you hogging a massive 16:9 space, and split screens were everywhere. Harkening back to those oddly narrow FOVs, A Way Out depends on couch co-op as you work with a friend and attempt a prison escape. This is an anti-single player game. The story can only move forward when both players are actively playing, whether on the actual couch or checking in online and that makes it a ridiculously intriguing prospect this year. EA has signed a very interesting one here.

Far Cry 5

Release date: March 27, 2018 Genre: Shooter / Adventure

What is it? The latest in Ubisoft's open-world Far Cry series, set in modern-day Montana.

Why it's so interesting: Far Cry has always gone to exotic locations, but Far Cry 5 is set in the heart of the USA. It takes place in modern times too, which isn't all that unusual, but that does mean you'll be fighting against some politically sensitive groups. Home-grown terrorists? Isolationists? Gangs gone rogue? The setting and time period are likely to land this game in the midst of real-world political tensions, which could make it one of the most talked-about games of the year. Throw in, errr, testicle festivals and there's a serious amount of weird in here too...

Detroit: Become Human

Release date: April 3, 2018 Genre: Action/adventure

What is it? Androids might be mainly composed of bio-gel and wires, but the inner struggles go on inside their heads prove they're very human indeed. Or, that's what Detroit: Become Human hopes to convince you.

Why it's so interesting:Detroit: Become Human puts you in the shoes of the androids who are - whether knowingly or not - right at the heart of the revolution against humans. Long consigned to taking care of their fleshy masters, your character will exhibit some forbidden emotions and it's up to you how far you take them. Choose carefully what to say to each person you're faced with in Detroit: Become Human's interactive story, but be careful - there are dozens of potential endings, and we're betting that very few of them are good. Do what you're told and put humans first, or decide that it's about time you did what you wanted and rebel against the system of servitude you were created to obey. So far we know of Kara, a domestic android who's faced with domestic abuse of a child (it's not for the faint-hearted), and Connor, a crisis negotiator who's trying to save an android from jumping off a roof with their child hostage. Sounds cheery, we know.

God of War

Release date: April 20, 2018 Genre: Action-adventure

What is it? Thor-get about Kratos? He’s back and this time he seems to have ended up in Norse mythology…

Why it's so interesting: This surprising new context for the ol’ angry slaphead. After the titular God of War Kratos killed all of the gods in Olympus, he seems to have been looking forward to retirement. He's grown out his beard, got significantly less angry, moved to a new country, and started up a new family, with his son Atreus on hand with a bow and arrow and the ability to translate runes as the pair journey together. Kratos' fighting style has also changed, with his Chaos Blades replaced by a mystical battle axe called Leviathan that can be summoned a bit like Thor's hammer. It's time to get comfy in your gaming chair for this one too as game director Cory Barlog has confirmed that the game will be 25 to 35 hours long. That's only twice the size of the previous games so expect a serious quest for Kratos and Atreus. Oh, and you can't jump...

Vampyr

Release date: June 5, 2018 Genre: RPG

What is it? The next game from Life Is Strange developer Dontnod.

Why it's so interesting: It's 1918 and London is sick. No, not in a good way. The flu is ravaging the streets and the city is dying. The good news is that you're a vampire so can't get sick. The bad news is that you're a vampire and really need to drink blood but also are still a Doctor so still have a duty of care to the city. Quite the bloodsoaked dilemma. Don'tnod's London is a beautiful gothic wonderland, full of vampire hunters and potentially very edible humans. Think fifty shades of morally grey and you get the idea. The further you unravel the narratives of the world, the richer their blood becomes. Do you keep helping or just dive into them like a happy meal with a toothy embrace? Find out in spring.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Release date: October 26, 2018 Genre: Adventure

What is it? A sequel - well, prequel - to Rockstar's open-world adventure set in the Wild West.

Why it's so interesting: Given that this is Rockstar creating a follow-up to one of its most beloved games, that makes Red Dead Redemption 2 a big, big deal. We already know it'll have a big online mode, similar to GTA Online, and that we'll be following the "story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they rob, fight, and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America." As open world sandboxes go, Red Dead Redemption 2 looks almost terrifyingly huge. From the glimpses we've seen in the trailer this is a world of forests, canyons, and sprawling deserts that's going to have you reaching for your photo mode buttons as often as the pistol slung around your waist.